Dry ore-separator.



J. J. LAPPING.

DRY ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 21, 1908, 926,428. Patented June 29, 1909.

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J. J. LAPPING.

DRY ORE SBPARATOR.

APPLIOAIION rum) MAR. 21, 1908.

926,428. Patented June 29,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFTGE.

JAMES J. LAPPING, OF WOODWARD, ALABAMA.

DRY ORE-SEPABATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES J. LAPPING, citizen of the United States, residing at WVoodward, in the county of J efferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dry Ore-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention rovides an appliance particularly adapte( for separation of all metallic values from gangue, rock or nonmetallic values associated therewith.

The invention is adapted most especially for mining and milling districts, where water for the wet methods is not available; also for the working over of tailings of stamp mills, where the values of the ores are in iron sulfids and treated over amalgamated plates, and bumping table concentrators, which methods nearly always turn about fifty (50%) per cent. of the values into the tailings pile and down the creek.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accom anying drawings.

Whi e the invention may be adapted to difierent forms and conditions by changes in the structure and minor details without departing from the spirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ore separator embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the separator, the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section of the separator. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line bb of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the head fitted to the lower end of the separating cone. Fig. 6 is a side view of the separating cone, the jacket being omitted. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on the line of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a sectional detail on the line iyy of Fig. 3.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The body of the separator is of conical form and arranged with the larger end uppermost and is mounted upon a wind chest 1 which is elevated, being preferably Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 21, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Serial No. 422,511.

mounted upon legs 2. The wind chest 1 may be of any size and construction and is supplied with air under pressure from blowers or other blast creating means, not shown, the blasts of air being conveyed to the wind chest by means of pipes 3. An opening is formed in the upper side of the wind chest and is surrounded by means of a rim 4, which receives the lower end of the jacket inclosing the body of the separator. A cone 5 is adapted to operate in the opening surrounded by the rim 4 and is adjusted vertic-ally by means of a stem 6 which is threaded into the lower side of the wind chest and is provided at its lower end with a suitable hand piece.

The separating cone 7 is provided in its outer side with gravity separating passages 8 which gradually contract toward their upper ends and which are in communication with the interior of the cone through openings 9. The gravity separating passages S are of like formation, each having a vertical wall 10 and an inclined wall 11. A channel 12 is provided at the base of the vertical wall 10 and communicates at its lower end with an opening 13 which extends through the lower portion of the separating cone. Other channels 1 1 are formed upon the inner wall of the gravity separating passage 8 and incline to the horizontal and connect at their lower ends with the vertical channel 12. The vertical channel 12 and the inclined channels 14 serve to catch the metal and return the same to the lower end of the gravity separating passages 8, said metal passing through the opening 13 into a head 15 at the lower end of the separating cone, and thence outward through a discharge pipe 16. The lowermost inclined channel 14 leads into an opening 17 which communicates with the opening 13. The several inclined channels 141 correspond with shoulders formed at the upper ends of portions 18 of the inner wall of the passage 8, said portions 18 inclining upwardly from the relative lower channels to the channels next above, so as to form the said shoulders. The inclined wall 1 1 of the passage 8 serves to defleet the material toward the vertical wall 10. The several gravity separating passages 8 are closed at their outer sides by means of a jacket 19 which envelope the separating cone 7 and its the same snugly. The lower por tion of the jacket 19 encircles the rim 4 of the wind chest.

Theheach 1 5 is separate from, the separatside with flared recesses '2O which communicate with the lower ends of a set ofopenings r, 13. A discharge pipe 16 communicates with,

each recess 20, and extends outward through; the lower portion of the jacket 19. An open ing is formed centrally of the head 15 and flares downwardly to conform approximately to the upper end of thecone 5- which con stitutes a valve to regulate the feed of the material" The cone 5iis double ended, that;

is, both its upper and its lower portions are made conical,'the upper portion acting both as a valve and spreader, whereasjthe lower portion servesto deflect the blast ofair out-' ward against the sides of the wind chest, thence upward; through the annular space su rrouriding the cone and into the lower ends of the gravity separating passages 8'. Afeed' pipe 21 is located centrally'ofthe separating cone 7 and isadapted to receive the ore to be; separated and to deliver the same upon the; con'e'5. A plug 22 fitted into the lower end of the separating cone 7 receives the lower end of the feed pipe 21 and is pro vided iii its sides withnotches' 22? which form with the lower inclined walls ofthe se arating cone,

tapered spaces which receive t e tailings and direct the same outward through discharge openings 23 -.extending throughthe sides of theseparating cone and the jacket. A cover 24 jclose's'the upper end of the separating cone and is provided with one or more outlets 25 for'the escape of the dust and light particles along' with the air.

In common withthe general methods ofi treating ores, the rock must be pulverized and perfectly sized for this separator, and each size treated separately so that small sized'values'niay be retained bytreating with a blast of air of suflicient force to separate it from' the lighter gravities of/the same size! Theore' pulverized and sized is fed into the separator through the pipe 21 and is received upon the cone5, which spreads or deflects the same outward and the ore coming in, contact with the'upwardly ascending blasts of air is carried upward therewith into the gravity sep'aratingpassages 8. The heavier particles gravitate and are directed the inclined channels 141 into the vertical channels 12, thence into the openings 13 by which they are directed into the recesses'or spaces 20 of the head 15 and outward T through the discharge pipes 16. The lighter portions are carriedupward through the passages 8,. thence into the space 26 of the separating 'cone through, the'openings 9, and which space 26 notches 22 t, thence outward through the discharge openings 23.

Havingtlius described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1, In combination a separating body forming with a casing an upwardly extending gravity separating passage prov ded at its lower end with a discharge, said body having on a wall of said passage a series of trans versely inclined return channels and an outwardly extending channel in communication with said =.16l311111 channels and with the said discharge, means for directing a blast of: air throughithe said gravity separating passage, and means'vforsupplying ore to the lower end of said gravity separating passage to be taken up by'theblast of air.

In combination a, separating body forming witha casing ttIlHPXVELTLllY inclined gravity separating passage having a discharge at its lower end, said body having upon the in ;ner wall of said separating passage a series of transversely inclined return channels and an outwardly extending channel at one side of said separating passage in communication with the return channels and with said this cliarge, means for directing ablast of air through said separating passage and means an supplying ore to the lower end of the gravity separating passage to be taken up ward therethrough by the blast of air.

In an ore separator, the combination :ofa separating .body provided with a gravity separating passage having a vertical wall and an inclined wall, said passage being gradually constricted toward its upperend and having a wall formed with aseries of inclined faces terminating in inclined shouljdersforming return channels, means for directing a blastof air upwardly through said gravity separating passage, and means for supplying ore to the lower end of the said passage.

4:. In an ore separator, the combination of a separating body provided with an 1 upwardly arranged gravity separating passage, which is constricted. at its upper end and which passage is provided with. a vertical channel and a series of inclined channels communicating at their lower ends with said vertical channel, means for directing ablast of air upwardly through the gravity separating passage, and other means for supplying ore to, the lower end of said separating passage.

- 5. In an ore separator, the combination of a separating body having a tailings chamben'a gravity separating passage, the latter communicating at its upper end with said tailingschamber, a head at the lower end of the separating body and in communication with the gravity separating passage and having a discharge, a feed pipe extending through the tailings chamber to deliver the ore through the said head, and means for directing a blast of air against the said head and around the same upwardly through the said gravity separating passage.

6. In combination, a separating body having a tailings chamber'provided in its lower portion with a discharge and having a gravity separating passage in its side, said passage being in communication at its upper end with the tailings chamber, a head at the lower end of the separating body and having a recess in communicatlon with the said gravity separating passage and provided with an outlet, said head having an opening therethrough, a feed pipe extended through the separating body and in communication with the opening of said head, a spreader at the lower end of the opening through the aforesaid head to direct the ore outward, and means for delivering a blast of air to the said spreader and head and upwardly through the aforesaid gravity separating passage.

7. In combination, a separating body having a tailings chamber and a gravity separating passage at one side of said tailings chamber and in communication at its upper end therewith, a feed pipe extended through the tailings chamber to deliver ore therethrough and below the said separating body, a spreader below said separating body and adjustable to regulate the feed of the ore, and means for directing a blast of air against said spreader across the path of the ore and upwardly through the aforesaid gravity separating passage.

8. In combination, a separating cone having a tailings chamber and formed in its side around said tailings chamber with a series of gravity separating passages, which latter are in communication at their upper ends with the tailings chamber, a head at the lower end of the cone having a central opening, a feed pipe extended through the tailings chamber to direct the ore through the opening of said head, a cone opposite to the opening of said head and adapted to direct the ore outward into the said gravity separating passages, and means for delivering a blast of air around said cone and upwardly through the aforesaid gravity separating passages.

9. An ore separator comprising a wind chest having an opening in its upper side, a cone arranged to operate in said opening, means for adjusting said cone vertically, a separating cone having a tailings chamber and provided at its outer sides with a series of gravity separating passages which are in communication at their upper ends with said tailings chamber, each of said passages having a vertical wall and an inclined wall and provided with a vertical channel and a series of inclined channels and having the portions between the inclined channels relatively inclined, a jacket encircling the separating cone and closing the outer sides of the gravity separating passages, a head at the lower end of the separating cone and having a central opening theiethrough, and recesses in communication with the lower ends of the gravity separating passages and having outlets from said recesses, a feed pipe extended through the tailings chamber, a plug at the lower end of the feed pipe and notched in its sides to form in conjunction with the inclined walls of the tailings chamber table spaces which have discharge outlets, and a cover closing the upper end. of the separating cone and provided with outlets.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. LAPPING.

Witnesses:

F. C. CUNNINGHAM, A. K. l\lURPHY. 

